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Crocker, 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, played two positions for Jordan — running back and defensive back.

He rushed for 818 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He made second-team for the Ledger-Enquirer’s All-Bi-City team.

“We’re very proud that he’s put in the work it takes to get himself in this position,” said Jordan coach Dave Nurnberg. “He’s the type of player you wish you had another year with. He’s a coach on the field. He’s a leader everyone follows … very coachable, very hardworking, very smart kid.”

Nurnberg said he hopes Crocker will move to a Division I team after Hutchinson, which typically sends 60 to 70 percent of its players to bigger schools.

Hutchinson Community College is located in Hutchinson, Kan., a city about 50 miles northwest of Wichita. More than 16,000 students attend classes on its main campus and two other locations.

Crocker said he particularly liked Hutchinson’s strong academic and football programs.

“It’s a big step,” Crocker said. “I’ll be able to pursue what I’ve always wanted to do and hopefully help out my family.”

He admitted he was nervous to be moving out on his own — a feeling his mother, Tenisa Crocker, said she shared as well. But Tenisa Crocker said she taught him well.

“It’s a big opportunity for him,” she said. “I want him to go far with it.”